Perserverance in Society and the Arts

What does it take to see a project through in spite of the odds, and regardless of those who would rather see you fail? We’ll talk this hour with two artists in very different fields about their interpretation of and approach to adversity. Albert Maysles is a documentary filmmaker whose latest film “The Gates” follows the 26-year effort of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to accomplish one of their most triumphant installations in New York’s Central Park. “The Gates” premieres on HBO tonight. In the second part of the hour, we’ll talk with Lily Weiss, head of the Dance Department at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. There since the school became an arts magnet three decades ago, Weiss has helped transform the school into a nationally and internationally recognized institution.